Hogwarts Through the War
by Rain Darkwood
Summary: From the POV of Hogwarts' new D.A.D.A. teacher, post HBP. HBP spoilers. In dire need of reviews! If you read it, please please review it!
1. Prologue

official site: http/ had been the middle of July when Zero Finnigan received the most peculiar letter of his life. Of course, when he received it at first, he did not realize it's importance in changing both traditions across the ocean from him and the course of his own life. This particular morning, Zero awoke from a deep sleep feeling slightly dazed - leftovers of the previous evening. Zero Finnigan, you see, was not your typical wizard; even for an american wizard. Although he was a prominent character in american wizardry and member of the Salem Witches Institute, he did not exactly cut a figure of gentlemanly dignity. His small apartment (or "flat", as his new colleagues would probably call it) was littered with empty bottles of Skyy vodka and old wrappers of mini-donuts and doritos. It bore the signs of heavy partying and smelled strongly of marijuana. Zero himself stumbled through the garbage and sleeping bodies of his friends and colleagues to reach the door. As he opened it and the sunshine covered his face, he squinted and pruned his face, biting back the brightness with disgust.

He opened his rusty mailbox blindly, groping inside for the contents. As he retreated back into the apartment with his small pile of mail and flashing lights going off in his eyes, he struggled to see which were bills and what was not. The first two letters immediately went into the garbage can, as one of the ladies sleeping on the floor snorted in her sleep. He examined the third carefully, and pocketed it. The fourth distracted him just the same... both were envelopes made of a slightly off-white parchment and were written on with shiny green ink. He pocketed this one as well. The last three consisted of two bills and an ad, all of which went into the trash. He turned resolutely, the feeling of control finally returning to his body, and made his way stealthily to his room, where he could examine these curious letters. Both were sent from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and both were addressed from the "Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall". A small shock struck the nerves around his spine and he cracked his neck nervously. He unfolded the letter and began to read with a sober expression.

Mr. Zero Finnigan,

In light of the tragic recent events, Hogwarts is in need of more staff. Since the great professor Dumbledore passed away, we have deliberated on whetehr or not to remain open at all, however, it has been decided that Hogwarts must remain available to students who wish to learn. Therefore, we as teachers are formally permitted to place our own protections on the school and the ministry itself will be tightening it's security measures for the school even more highly than those of the Ministry of Magic itself. In this time of need, and with the "curse" rumor spreading about the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, it has been especially difficult to locate willing staff. We have found it necessary to hire a new Transfiguration professor to replace me as well, with my promotion to Headmistress. This position has been filled by Remus Lupin already, but because of this ridiculous "curse" rumor, it has been nearly impossible to find any willing and able witch or wizard to take up the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. It is therefore my priveledge to invite you to teach at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. If you decide to take the position, I must recommend that you clean up first.

Minerva McGonagall

Zero read the letter through twice, only skimming to "the good part" the second time. He grunted and rubbed his eyes tenderly. "Always like Revus. er, Remus." He picked up the second letter and opened it. Again, McGonagall's handwriting met him.

Mr. Zero Finnigan,

Overseas apparition being risky with ministry precautions, you will need to use a Portkey that we have set up with the Salem Witches Institute. Speak to Mortimer Montague, he has it in his office. It will be active tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. local time.

Thank you for helping us out,

Minerva McGonagall

Zero's eyes widened at the last part, and he chuckled quietly. "So she thinks I'll accept so easily," he muttered. Well I have, haven't I? he thought. His expression bleary, he began to look around his room. "What should I bring..." he muttered to himself. His eyes roamed over a bucket of chocolates, several lined up bottles that had been emptied of vodka, his broomstick (a Midnight Special, one of the best american brooms available), and a CD player that was playing Bizarre Love Triangle, by New Order. He leaned back and contemplated.

Theres no sense in telling me,

The wisdom of the fool won't set you free

But that's the way that it goes and it's what nobody knows,

Where everyday my confusion grows.

The music coming out of his CD player was drowning out his thoughts. There was a certain comfort in that, and he resolved to take it with him. That and the broomstick, of course.


	2. King's Cross

**Chapter 2:**

**The Journey to the Hogwarts Express**

**By Rain Darkwood**

_**Disclaimer: All characters other than those supplied by my imagination (Zero and Torch are it so far) are solely the property of J.K. Rowling.**_

Zero Finnigan was an interesting figure to watch when his dusty shoes stepped onto the grimy concrete outside of King's Cross station. Rain splattered down sporadically all around him, and he slowly held his hand, palm up, to catch a few drops of the rainwater. He was a ruggedly handsome man in his mid thirties, whose face was defined by small wrinkles around his eyes, and a rough chin, where shaving could only barely hold back traces of black stubble. He wore a sleeveless black cassock over a bright white dress shirt, giving the impression of a monk or scholar. His black pants were of precise tailoring, showing him to have the build of a gawky teen grown up, legs seemingly too tall and thin for him. His dark brown hair looked as though it were slightly too long for for taste, as though he were in need of a haircut but had not gotten around to it quite yet. He did not fit the part of a wizard visiting the station, even to the sight of other wizards. His long, jet black wand was stowed in his belt, but more visible was the pure black shotgun, double-strapped to a broom on his one and only suitcase. He seemed to like keeping his possessions plain and black - even the broom was black and grey. If anything, he looked like a rogue outlaw - minister, something out of a wacky video game that nobody wanted to play. He looked around with stone grey eyes, scanning the station with an air of unfamiliarity. They finally rested on a sign near the top of a pillar which read "Platform 8". He walked further a few steps toward platform 9, and then 10. He turned, and chuckled to himself, as though his own confusion about where to go was amusing. Finally he looked down at the tarnished silver watch on his wrist, and backed up to lean against a railing, deciding to watch for other people headed for platform 9 and 3/4.

His dusty eyes went back and forth between the two platforms, carefully studying the behavior of every person who walked nearby. Nearly ten minutes passed without incident, and Zero finally began to worry over his predicament. Perhaps the Ministry of Magic had changed the entry to the Hogwarts Express so as to prevent infiltration by Death Eaters? It was a difficult question. After all, surely some of the children at Hogwarts had parents affiliated with Voldemort and the school could not possibly allow the children access without alerting Voldemort to any changes. Zero pondered his options briefly, and decided It was time to take action as only a man such as he could. Puffing out his chest with confidence and determination, he snatched up his briefcase and strode like a man with a purpose, heading straight for the pillar to his right. As he made his approach, he closed his eyes tight.

SMASH

Zero found himself on his ass in front of the pillar. His forhead was throbbing, and he held his hand up to it delicately. As he quietly mourned his forehead, he noticed the sign above the pillar: "Platform 9". Damn it, he thought. This would be like trying to go to Platform 9 and 1/4. He angrily took up his briefcase again, checked to make sure that his posessions were properly secured, and looked around quickly to ensure that he wasn't being watched by curious muggles. A nearby businessman had stopped and was staring.

"Just a li' tle bit tipsy..." Zero said, in an elaborate impression of a drunk, with a fake accent. The businessman moved on, watching Zero for a moment as he walked. After he'd gone, Zero stood up and walked toward the opposite pillar, a little worse for wear but just as determined as before. This time he passed through without incident, to his delight and wonder. He looked up for the first time into the Platform for the Hogwarts Express, and beautiful british architecture once again overwhelmed all that he'd seen during his life in the United States. His wonder at such an amazing sight overtook him so much that he did not notice the two men in black cloaks and hoods that were facing him, standing near the train. Only when one of them spoke did he realize something was happening.

"Another one, sir!"

Zero looked down from the ceiling of the platform in time to see the smaller of two black-cloaked wizards pointing at him as the second one reached for his wand. Instinctively, Zero ducked behind a nearby bench and began to unstrap his shotgun. Wood from the bench behind him splintered over his head as a jet of red light smashed into it. He stuggled with the gun, pulling apart the straps he had put together, silently cursing himself for wrapping them so tightly to it. He could hear the deatheaters running toward his position, their shoes click-clacking loudly on the decorative cobblestone floor. Finally, his gun came loose and he attached his black wand to it, using a clip on the pump. He ran out from behind the bench, standing in front of the death-eaters defiantly. The smaller one stared in disbelief, as the bigger one laughed rauciously.

"Is that... is that a muggle fireleg?"

Zero pumped the gun and fired. Both death eaters laughed and performed shield charms, with looks of triumph on their faces. They did not expect what happened next. Rather than letting loose a shower of sparks and a spray of buckshot, the gun shuddered and belched 5 jets of red light - stun jinxes. The death eaters only had a moment of thought before the array of blasts shashed into their shields. The protego charm was effective, but not good enough to repel such a large amount of shots at once. With a sickening CRACK, the charms shattered and the death eaters were hit full on by the stunning jinxes. They flew backward and collapsed in a heap. As they hit the ground, more Death eaters came into view from the side of the train. They aimed several blasts toward Zero, which flew in bright green and red streams around him. A few were using killing curses, and Zero thanked whatever gods there were that they had bad aim. He pumped once again and aimed a shot at the death eaters, who were much farhter away than the previous two he'd handled. His next blast, a set of vicious Sectumsempra curses, spread apart toward the death eaters. Three of them blocked the curse effectively, but one was hit. He began to bleed profusely from his struck chest, and he fell screaming to the floor of the platform. One of the Death Eaters was screming obcenities at Zero. He was now hiding around the front of the train, trying to decide what would be the most effective curse or jinx at such range. _Perhaps I should switch back to using my wand and give them a false sense of security_, he thought.

Just then, he heard angered yells and the sounds of a struggle. Looking around the side of the train, he could see that members of the Order of the Phoenix were joining the fight, jumping out from the train doorways, where they had been defending against the attackers. The Death Eaters were beginning to scatter now, where there had formerly been tight packs of 4 to 5, there were now many Death Eaters defending themselves, backing away toward the various ends of the platform. Zero did not recognize any memebrs of the order who were currently fighting, until he saw Remus Lupin. Lupin was standing just inside the train in a doorway, firing off jinxes in rapid succession. His aim was surgical; 3 Death Eaters fell as Zero watched.

Coming out from his side of the train with his bewitched shotgun in position, he pumped and blasted two doses of stun spell at a few Death Eaters. The first was caught completely off-guard, trying to defend against a witch with a heart-shaped face's brutal assault of spells. He flew sideways into a wooden box, breaking it down to the ground in a dusty heap as he collapsed onto it. The second shot was entirely rebounded by a strong shield charm summoned by his second target. A blast fired by Remus from behind the Death Eater caught him by surprise however, and he fell forward onto his face, hard. Several Death Eaters were retreating now, running for cover and apparating - one of them was caught right before he could apparate by a witch Zero recognized as Professor Sprout, from Hogwarts, who had conjured giant plant-like vines which had bound the Death Eater and held him down, keeping him from escaping. There was only one Death Eater remaining now, dueling with the witch who had a heart-shaped face. As Zero watched, the Death Eater successfully disarmed her. Before he could finish her off, however, There were 5 wands and a bewitched shotgun pointing directly at him. He seemed to consider his options and, disgruntled at the idea of losing a kill, he slowly pulled his hood away to reveal his face.

Zero gasped despite himself. It was none other than the mercenary Torch O'Malley, another american... Apparently Voldemort's influence reached far and wide. Torch was younger than Zero, but his face did not show it much. He was scarred and battered to the point of having chiseled features, like a gargoyle - and yet beneath it all lay a roughly sketched handsomeness. He smiled daringly at Lupin, whose grip tightened on his wand considerably.

"Remember my face, Order."

Torch's hands were in the air to signify cooperation, and yet... Zero knew something was wrong, from the flash in Torch's eyes.

As Zero jumped forward, tackling Lupin's back with as much force as he could, a massive jet of red light rippled their hair, passing directly over them. As if in slow motion, they collapsed on the ground, hearing a louck CRACK, and Zero understood that Torch had apparated. The heart-faced witch helped them up, half laughing and half crying. Zero felt like he was going to collapse again, or be sick, but stood as strong as he could, nearly in agony as Lupin struggled against him, trying to pull himself up.

"Damn it..." Lupin muttered savagely, the hint of wolf just beneath the surface. He seemed angered at the loss of Torch's capture and yet, as his eyes moved to his right and scanned the face of the woman beside him, holding him up, he softened tenfold. "Nymphadora..." he sighed, holding his hand up momentarily to stroke her cheek.

Tears streamed from her face, and she smiled ecstatically. "I almost lost you," she said.

Zero ducked back out from under Lupin's arm, not wanting to intrude on their happiness. He sighed and walked to the end of the platform, looking down at the tracks with a sober expression. From behind him, a hand clapped his shoulder with such force that he nearly fell forward. He did not need to turn around to know who was there. "Sirius, you old dog," he said, turning a full 180 degrees before being shocked and nearly falling off the platform again. It was not Sirius; it was James. He stared into the eyes of a man he had once fought side-by-side with, Sirius' best friend and confidant. He stared into the eyes of a dead man.

And yet...

The yes were not James'. He stared back into those eyes, and nearly expected to see the face of Lily Evans swim into view, as if through a pool of dark blue water. His breath caught in his chest. "Harry... you must be harry."

The boy looked back resolutely, with a strength and hardness in his expression of a man far beyond his years. "Sirius is dead, sir. Yes, I'm Harry. Thank you for helping us; we had almost lost."

Zero merely stared back into those eyes of such familiarity and striking purity, searching for words to reply to what the boy had said, without really having heard it. "Your look, just like..."

"My dad, I know."

"But the eyes, the eyes..."

"My mother's. I know it."

This last part had been said with such forcefulness that Zero dared not pursue it, although he continued to stare into those deep eyes. Harry was not the only one standing in fron tof Zero now, and he realized that the other members of the Order were coming to thank him as well, and before he'd knwon it, Harry had ducked through the small crowd and disappeared. _Just like James_, Zero thought. _A knack for disappearing when he wants to. And yet, a sadder soul I've never seen_. He turned to watch the crowd around him. Some were smiling expectantly, waiting for him to cry out their name in recognition; some were waiting as though wanting to meet him and introduce themselves, and politely ask who the hell he was. He turned first to Remus, who now stood directly in front of him, hand-in hand with the heart-shaped face woman, whom he had called Nymphadora. Lupin held out his hand happily, as if greeting an old and cherished friend. Indeed Zero had fought side by side with Lupin at Dumbledore's request during Voldemort's first reign of terror, but he'd never quite made friends with any of the Order, exactly - it was all for Dumbldore. The thought of Dumbledore conjured a sharp pain in his throat, and he swallowed hard, with difficulty. A chill ran up his spine. As though understanding completely, Lupin leaned forward and embraced Zero, holding him like a brother.

End of Chapter 2

At this point, our protagonist has reached the destination of the Hogwarts Express. But why are there so many members of the Order aboard? Why does Harry seem like such a grown up now? What effects of the recent upheaval have effected the wizarding community of Britain? Why would Death Eaters openly attack the Hogwarts Express? You'll have tor ead the entire tale to know - but I promise at least a few will be answered witht eh next chapter, which I'll be beginning now! Read and Review, I'm big on constructive criticism and I'm likely to incorporate anyone's suggestions into the story. Hell, if you want to have your character in my story, I'll do that too, just ask and it will be done.


	3. Hogwarts Express

**Chapter 3:**

**The Ride Aboard Hogwarts Express**

**By Rain Darkwood**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any properties of Harry Potter, they belong to J.K. Rowling. I've only invented a few characters for this story.

**Note**

This is a fairly short chapter, mainly for the purpose of clarifying Hogwarts' current role in the war. Sorry it's so short, I just get a feeling when it's right to end a chapter and that's when I end it.

Once aboard the Hogwarts Express, Zero found it surprisingly quiet. He looked up and down the narrow aisles, and turned to Lupin, who had climbed in behind him, followed by the crowd of Order members. "Why is it so quiet?"

Remus sighed, but smiled as though trying to make the best of a bad situation. "Nearly every Slytherin student has not come to school this year," he said, shrugging. "And a good many students from other houses whose parents hadn't the intelligence to take our offer. You see, Hogwarts has become a sort of refugee camp. Many families are residing there along with their children, taking advantage of our offer of protection, and it's all we can do. We offer the most protection out of anywhere, with the help of the ministry. It is also the current headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. All classes will be taken indoors this year, but other than the transformation of some old classrooms into homes for our guests, things will run quite as smoothly. Students are still going to be staying in their dormitories, and the like. But things will be a little cramped, I'm sure, in the residential section." They were walking down the hallway now, and were nearly at the end of the train. "Some families have chosen to stay on their own, though, figuring that they have a better chance of making it through these trying times by staying away from the fighting and not taking sides. Subscriptions to the Daily Prophet are at an all-time low, I hear," he added, as they reached the very last compartment. "They don't want to hear the news. They want to pretend nothing is happening. They lack the courage to help in the fight."

Zero looked into the compartment, which was completely empty. "I would think having families tot ake on would pack this train much more than usual, not keep it desolate," He said, gesturing toward the compartment and looking around again.

"Well, this is actually the first time the Hogwarts express has taken on several trips. This is the third and last trip for the Express this year, and fortunately the only time it has been attacked. As for the Death Eaters that were stunned and impaired back there, the ministry will be by soon for clean up. I believe Tonks has already notified them."

"Tonks?"

"Nymphadora prefers to be referred to by her surname only. I am the only person who can get away with calling her by her first name." He smiled weakly.

"I see. Are you two...?"

"She's my fiancee, yes." Lupin looked away, as though embarassed, or desiring to change the subject. Zero took the hint.

"So I suppose I'll be taking on somewhat smaller classes this year than is typical?"

"Well, physically the classes will be smaller in proportion, but I would not go so far as to say things will be easier for you." He placed his own briefcase on the floor and massaged his wrist tenderly. "Because there are substantially frightened families living there now, you'll probably find yourself in the position of advisor to many of them. Given that you'll be instructing our students in Defense Against the Dark Arts, you will probably find yourself dealing with as many troubled adults as budding witches and wizards."

Zero ambled into the compartment and took a seat. "Well, Remus, it's always a pleasure to risk my life for somebody else."

Remus gave his faint smile again, and just stared back at Zero for a moment. "I know how you feel about all this. Especially now. I know who Torch O'Malley is, and I know you are in this 'till the end now." And with that, Remus Lupin turned and walked away down the corridor, his briefcase swinging at his side.

Zero leaned back and put his arms behind his head, trying to make himself comfortable. _Torch O'Malley_, he thought. _I owe you one_. A teenager of perhaps only 15 peered into his compartment at that moment.

"Are you a new teacher?"

"Yes."

The boy looked back inquisitively for just a moment more. Then he was gone, off to tell the rest of the journeying students just how ODD their new professor looked. Zero slammed the compartment door shut and conjured a big black padlock to keep it shut. He reached into his briefcase and removed only two items: A CD player and a joint. "I need to quit, but I'll be damned if I dont enjoy myself while I'm risking my neck." He puffed long and deep, blowing columns of smoke out of the trains window, as the CD player played a song by The Specials.

_"This is the dawning, of a neeeeew era"_

Zero exhaled another deep lungful of smoke. "Ain't that the truth."

**End of Chapter 3**

**For clarification to my readers, an author's note:**

Forgive me if you hate Zero already, he's supposed to be a bit ungraceful and slovenly. He's not exactly an angel, or a hero either. He's supposed to be quite disgusting and lazy, and yet his skills are undeniable. In my opinion, he grows on you. The rating of Teen for this story is because of his casual marijuana use (which believe me, is a defining part of his character, along with drinking, which will stay with him throughout the story.) Don't hate the guy, he's a hero, sort of. More like an anti-hero. But he's got a lot of courage... perhaps more clumsiness than courage though, eh? Give the guy a chance.


	4. The Arrival

Hogwarts: Through the War

by Rain Darkwood

Chapter 4

The Arrival

By the time the Hogwarts Express slowed and came to a stop outside the grounds of Hogwarts, Zero's head had stopped spinning and come back to normal; he had taken a nap with the radio still on, the melodic tunes bringing him occasionally out of his sleep. Feeling only slightly lightheaded as he stood swaying to his feet, Zero reached above him to the luggage racks and extracted his briefcase. He quickly made sure that everything was there, and that his broom and gun were properly strapped on. He turned and grasped the handle, attempting to slide the door open a few times before realizing he had placed a padlock on it.

"Ugh," he grunted, and removed the padlock with a wave of his wand. As he slid the door open and stepped into the corridor, he gazed up and down the rows, again trying to get a feel for how many people were onboard. Only a few people were still inside the train; it seemed Zero had taken his time coming out of his reverie and leaving the compartment. Ahead of him two older students were talking quietly and heading for the exit of the train. Zero wondered how things may have operated differently in the years before Voldemort's return... students milling about and talking animatedly, happily carrying their trunks away to another exciting year of magical learning. He looked back down to the floor as he walked, not wanting to think about it. Voldemort's return meant many more things than all of these people could understand - horrors would be unleashed that many of them had never even heard of, and worse yet, horrors that Zero himself had never hear the likes of. The fact that Torch O'Malley was working with Voldemort was enough to mean terror could be hiding around any corner.

Torch O'Malley, the infamous american mercenary Zero and the Order had run into earlier, was capable of terrible things. What was worse was the fact that perhaps only Zero and Remus Lupin had even recognized the creature. And Zero had been unfortunate enough to meet him before. Torch O'Malley's wand was for hire to the highest bidder, no matter who that bidder was, and Torch had been known to commit unspeakable crimes for his "clients". Torch led a personal team of wizard mercenaries, the Lotus Moon, each hand chosen for their abilities and lack of compassion for human life. Torch himself had earned the nickname of "the Samurai Warlock", due to his brutal style of using slashing physical attacks with his wand, much like the effects of "sectumsempra". His victims were typically found bloody and torn, brutalized as if by sword slashes. His personal protege and first mate was the woman known as "Black Rose" - a deadly master thief and asassin. Zero did not know anything else about the Lotus Moon, except that there were other members. Indeed, the fact that these american killers were working with Lord Voldemort meant certain danger for the Order. Zero resolved to ask Remus Lupin how much he knew about Lotus Moon as soon as he had a chance to speak to him alone.

Zero stepped off of the train and onto a wooden platform, which elongated into a dock at one end, and led to wide dirt path on the other. Looking around, he saw that the dock was not being used, and that several carriages drawn by horse-like creatures were using the dirt path to approach a castle up ahead, which must be Hogwarts. He stopped momentarily to admire the castle, which was truly a sight to see. Rising into the darkening sky, with towers seemingly in each direction, Hogwarts seemed something out of an adventure novel. Complete with a giant front door and battlements and wide, green lawns, Hogwarts was a dream. Zero sighed quietly and looked back to the path. All of the carriages had disappeared, and he felt a quick shock in his chest, wondering how he would get up to the castle.

"Zero!" A voice called to Zero from behind, and turning, he saw several figures approaching. Remus Lupin had called to him, flanked by Tonks and a tiny wizard who seemed quite excitable. As they approached Zero, the small wizard squeaked and nearly tripped over a raised plank. "Zero. Allow us to lead you to the castle. There really is more that we should discuss on the way, isn't there?"

Zero wondered to himself is Lupin was talking about Torch. "Yes, I'm sure there is." He looked toward tonks. "Are you teaching here as well, erm, Tonks?"

She smiled back, in an interestingly similar fashion to Lupin's. "No, but all members of the Order are staying at Hogwarts as it is the current headquarters. I'm also an Auror for the ministry, so it was easy for me to ensure an assignment to Hogwarts, there are lots of us assigned here. Professor Flitwick here does teach, though." She gestured to the little wizard beside her.

Professor Flitwick beamed and extended his hand, which Zero shook. "I believe we've met before, Zero!" he squeaked. Thinking back, Zero remembered him, from back in his days helping Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix. Little Flitwick had been just the same then, a small ball of excited energy, masking his abilities as a wizard. Zero remembered quite well how Flitwick had fought valiantly against Death Eaters, better than many wizards he had seen.

"I remember you very well, Flitwick! It's very good to see you again. What subject do you teach here?"

"Charms, Charms!" Flitwick responded, obviously quite proud of himself, and nearly tripping over backwards in his haste to stand up straight and proud.

"We'll need to follow this path here," Lupin interjected, gesturing toward the path that the carriages had traveled down. "We've already passed the outer shell of enchantments coming in here on the train, but I'd like to show you the defensive measures we have employed nearer to the castle. Shall we press on, then?" Zero nodded readily and they began up the dirt path. Lupin and Tonks led the way, and Zero and Flitwick followed.

It was several minutes of walking during which they were merely passing between the edge of the great shimmering lake, and the dark outlines of a forest. After a minute or two, Zero broke the silence. "So, Remus, what is you wanted to discuss, other than the defensive measures of course?"

An awkward silence followed this for a few seconds, and then Lupin replied rather baldly, "I think we ought to discuss what the presence of Torch O'Malley could mean to the Order."

Zero had been expecting this response, but was unsure how to reply. He did not have to, Tonks was the first to speak. "I really don't know much about him. Why is he such an important issue?"

Zero found his voice this time and replied quickly. "Torch is a mass-murderer, plain and simple. Beyond anything that any of the Dark Lord's followers has accomplished, Torch is the epitome of evil and uncaring. He makes his money with murder, and doesn't wait for the Dark Lord to start a war to do it. All of his life he has been murdering people, he's a cold-hearted professional." Zero sighed heavily. "I'm ashamed to acknowledge that he comes from my home country."

Tonks looked up at Lupin in the silence, waiting for him to reply, but he did not. After a minute of silence, Zero continued.

"And it isn't as if fighting Torch means facing one man. He has followers! A hand-picked team of ruthless murderers, and I don't know who is among the members. All I know is that they call themselves the Lotus Moon, and that Torch leads them, with his lover Black Rose."

Lupin finally spoke up. "There are only two other members." There was silence once more. They waited impatiently to hear what he had to say. Lupin continued. "They are no less frightening than the first two. I know very little about the third member, whose name is Darren Skye. From all accounts, he is quite insane. It makes sense, doesn't it, that Torch would choose a mentally disabled man for his team of murderers?"

Zero nodded silently, unsure of whether or not the others could even see this in the dark. "I have not heard anything about him. Who is the fourth, Lupin?"

Lupin did not reply for several seconds. "...He is not somebody I would like to discuss, but I will." He paused again, and Zero could tell that he was gathering himself.

"He is a vampire," Lupin said simply, and paused yet again before continuing. "They call him Silent Jack, because he supposedly never speaks. From all acounts, he seems to relish his curse rather than be ashamed of it - he lusts openly for blood. Not that he isn't a gentleman," Lupin said with a small forced laugh. "He supposedly is quite friendly to his comrades. But stories of his exploits in battle are horrible, even to read. His victims are found eviscerated and ripped beyond recognition. That is all that can be said about him at this moment."

There was a disgusted silence following his words. Zero could not rid himself of the images which ahd been conjured in his mind. Finally, Flitwick spoke up, breaking the silence. "What do these people have to do with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the Order?"

Lupin responded to this as well. "Torch was among those attacking us at the train station, Professor. His comrades were not with him however, so I suppose Torch did not consider it an important attack. What worries me directly about that is that if Torch's teammates did not assist him in that battle, where were they? I am afraid that something may have been happening elsewhere and that Torch was acting as a distraction, or perhaps making sure that the ministry's attention was at the train. I am nervous to discover what may be in tomorrow's Daily Prophet."

Zero spoke up immediately. "But what if Torch is working alone for Voldemort?" The other three shivered audibly in the darkness. Flitwick squeaked in the darkness.

"Perhaps living in another country gives you the luxury of not worrying about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but please remember that we do not speak His name here!"

"I apologize, I've forgotten."

Lupin replied to to Zero's inquiry. "As long as Torch and his followers have been working together, none has ever worked on solo projects away from the team. Given that Torch is the very founder of the group, I think it unlikely that he would split from them to work with the Dark Lord. More than likely, the others would jump at the chance to have plenty of people to kill." Lupin pointed ahead. "We'll have to end the discussion for now. We are approaching the inner defenses of the castle."

Zero looked ahead of Lupin, and thoughts of Lotus Moon disappeared from his mind. Ahead was a shimmering wall which was nearly invisible, glimmering in and out of view. Directly in front of them was a gate, of the same shimmering material.

Lupin gestured to the gate. "It's called Godric's wall. Professor Flitwick's masterpiece." In the glow of the gate, Zero could see Lupin smile and bow to Professor Flitwick, who squeaked excitedly and took over the explanation.

"It took 10 hours for me to create it! Named after Godric Gryffindor, and it's the first of four defenses against invaders! Approaching it, you will see your reflection in the wall. It will reflect your inner self and become unopenable if you are not pure of heart! At all other times it is completely open. Are you up for the challenge, Zero?"

Zero hesitated, reminded of his affection for certain excesses. After a few quick seconds of self-inspection, he decided he had no choice but to give it a shot. As he stepped forward to the gate, the others hung back, waiting. Zero approached the gleaming barricade, and gazed at his reflection as it, too walked forward from the other side. He stopped three feet from the gate, watching his reflection. He expected something to happen, and watched as his reflection gazed back at him, looking as confused as Zero.

Flitwick spoke from behind him. "Well, give it a try, open it!"

Zero looked away from his reflection and saw a ridiculously large doorknob, which reminded him of the door from Alice in Wonderland. He nearly expected a face to pop out around the bulbous knob and start honking nonsensical things at him. He reached forward and grasped the handle slowly, allowing his fingers to curl around the curves of the knob. He began to turn the handle and was horrified to find it would not turn.

And then it turned. It had only stuck for a split second, and Zero's heart leaped in his chest. His reflection smiled back at him happily, although he was sure he had not smiled.

Flitwick squeaked loudly behind him. "Look, it works! Fantastic, fantastic! Splendid job Zero, splendid!" Zero sighed gratefully, exhaling a lungful of air. The others came up behind him, laughing lightly and clapping him on the back.

Lupin smiled in his faint way and said quietly to Zero, "Perhaps you aren't as bad as you think you are."

End of Chapter 4

Okay, so we've seen the first of the three defenses against invaders of Hogwarts, and it seems pretty impenetrable, doesn't it? In the next chapter we'll get to see the other two, and our first gimpse of Hogwarts during this trying time. The next chapter is sure to be exciting, so tune in and remember to Read and Review! Tell me what you think, and have a hand in how this story goes on!


	5. The Trials

Hogwarts: Through the War

by Rain Darkwood

Chapter 5

The Trials

Turning his back on Godric's Wall, Zero concentrated on what he would see next. There was no telling what defenses the teachers of Hogwarts would have set up to protect their home - and he was not disappointed. As the four of them advanced past Godric's Wall, the dirt path they walked upon curved upward into a wide, open area of land, with a straightforward view to Hogwarts itself. Zero examined the land ahead of him carefully, as the entire area was filled with the light of torches which had been set up to allow enough light for the many people there to work carefully. As he watched, at least 30 wizards were gathered around a gigantic wooden pen - trying desperately to control a roaring dragon.

It was a fearsome sight; the dragon reared back several times as Zero watched, writhing its neck and attempting to shake off the giant leather muzzle that covered its mouth and kept it from breathing fire. Lupin seemed to recognize one of the me, and waved to him, calling for him to come over. The burly young man waved back and hurried over, smiling jovially and gesturing to the beast behind him, as if to say, _Look at the size of THAT one_! The young man was shortish and stocky, but packed with muscles and rough, calloused skin as if he were molded out of lumpy clay. His hair was a bright red, and he kept the sleeves of his robes rolled up around his elbows.

"Hello, Charlie. So you're setting up a, uh... well it looks like a Chinese Fireball!"

Charlie seemed only too excited to respond and talk about the beast. "Indeed it is, Mr. Lupin, sir! Thing's gotta be, well... blimey, it's gotta be 55, 60 feet!" Charlie was rubbing his chin while he said this, scrutinizing the dragon carefully while it reared once again, knocking one of the wizards over.

"Call me Remus, please. How many is that, then, Charlie?"

"That's 8 in all, Mr. Lup - erm, Remus, and a fine set if I may say so myself!"

Lupin watched the dragon for a moment more, a look of solemness etched across his face. He turned to Zero before he spoke again. "Zero, This is Charlie Weasley, he's one of Arthur and Molly's. He's been working with dragons up in Romania, but with the current events, he has come here to help us secure the castle. Charlie, this is Hogwarts' new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Mr. Zero Finnigan."

Zero reached forward and shook Charlie's hand, still mesmerized by the fiery beast growling in the torchlight ahead of them. As expected, Charlie had a firm grip, his hands were literally covered with blisters and callouses. Zero broke his gaze at the dragons to look at Charlie with admiration. "It must be difficult dealing with these creatures so closely!"

Charlie laughed; it was a booming, hearty laugh. "You bet it is! But I love the buggers, so help me... powerful creatures too, I guarantee nobody will get through that field without Hogwarts' permission alive."

Zero thought this over for a moment. "They seem so wild, how can you possibly control at which point they discover an enemy and advance on them?"

Charlie was beginning to get intense on the discussion. He made frequent hand gestures as he spoke, explaining the system. "All of the dragons are contained within magical barriers 24 hours a day, but are released the moment an unexpected guest shows up on the lawn. Within the area these dragons are occupying, magic cannot be cast. Wands will simply flicker faintly, making you easier for the dragons to spot, if anything. See, their vision is based on heat, for the most part. Any warm body entering this area can be seen by the dragons, even in pitch darkness. You can say heat is their thing," he finished impressively.

Zero thought momentarily. "It really seems as though you've thought of everything..." he said thoughtfully.

Charlie clapped him on the back. "That's our job, Zero."

Lupin interrupted, steering the group away from Charlie and his dragons. "We'll have to let you get back to your game, Charlie, we have one more barrier to get through before we can call it a night." Charlie laughed and waved them off, sprinting away to rejoin the dragon controllers.

They walked on toward Hogwarts, which was looming ever closer. Darkness crept back around them as they grew farther and farther away from the torches and the Chinese Fireball, and the air felt significantly colder. Zero suddenly spoke up, voicing a concern that had, peculiarly, not occured to him until just then.

"Remus?"

"Yes, Zero?"

"Forgive me if this is a silly point, but what if an intruder is flying to Hogwarts, on a broom, for example?"

"Naturally, that would be one of our first concerns. There is a dome of protection around Hogwarts now, which repels broomsticks. Of course, we need to be able to mail things, so flying animals of a small size can go in and out of the dome quite freely. Broomsticks, however, will be struck as though they have flown directly into concrete. Not a good feeling, as you can guess. Animagi would have no better time of it, either; magic runs through the veins of all witches and wizards, and neither an animagi or a transfigured wizard could escape the same treatment by our protective spell."

"So even a hawk animagus, or a swallow animagus, would be repelled the same as a broomstick? They would be flattened the same way?"

Lupin nodded. "Quite the same. The dome expands from the point at which one enters from Godric's Wall, therefore an animagus would have to have gotten past that obstacle first. From that point on, however, they could transform and stay within the dome. However, they would have three obstacles to pass before reaching Hogwarts, three obstacles we are quite sure would stop them. The first of which, as you've seen, is a full squadron worth of dragons."

"I don't doubt that the dragons would be effective in most cases, but there seems to be one more flaw with Godric's Wall."

Flitwick responded this time, in a nearly offended tone. "What's that?"

Zero was scratching his chin carefully. "Couldn't a person wearing an invisibility cloak escape Godric's Wall? They would show no reflection!"

Flitwick laughed, relieved. "Zero, as Remus just said, magic flows through the veins of every witch and wizard, and magic knows magic. Godric's Wall will show the reflection of an approaching witch or wizard, no matter what. A creature that was invisible may pass, given it had no magical ability. A house elf, for instance, would be recognized just like any witch or wizard. And even then, what creature, magical or otherwise, can become invisible? That is complex magic!"

Zero felt better. "Yes, I see your point. Very good, I think you've done a fantastic job with just these first two trials. I'm anxious to see the last one."

Lupin pointed ahead. "That's good, because we've arrived."

Zero looked at the field they were approaching. Fog covered the grass, so that it was difficult to see anything close to the ground; but ahead a ways, Zero could make out a somewhat human shape. They approached and, growing nearer, he discovered that it was not human at all, not exactly. It was a full, yet empty, suit of blackened armor, which looked as though it might date back to the middle ages. The suit of armor had a broadsword in its sheath attached to its belt, and stood rigidly straight until the group got near to it. Creaking loudly, the suit of armor placed one glove on the handle of the sword, and used the other to gesture for them to stop. They stopped, and stood before the suit of armor. Professor Flitwick squeaked merrily, he seemed to enjoy the display immensely.

The helmet opened like a mouth and an eerie, echo-like voice was emitted. "Visitor, you will be asked a riddle. Answer me correctly and you will be allowed onward. Fail to answer, or answer incorrectly, and you will face the wrath of Hogwarts' ancestor guardians."

Flitwick squeaked again.

"Are you prepared to answer the riddle?"

Lupin stepped forward. "Normally in the interest of testing, I would ask you to try it out Zero, but if you couldn't do it we'd have to face our own defenses. Let me speak, I know the answer."

The suit of armor spoke before Zero could reply to Lupin. "Then be prepared! Here is your riddle: At birth I sift, but give me heat and I'll provide a view from which you can see the outside from the in."

Zero was stumped. He thought for a moment, but found it difficult to even follow the rhythm of the riddle. He listened carefully for Lupin's reply.

"You are sand."

The suit of armor removed it's glove from the handle of the sword, and bowed low before them. "You are correct, honored friend of Hogwarts. Proceed."

They moved on, Zero thinking quietly for several seconds. "Ah! Sand! It sifts, but if you melt it, it forms glass, which you use to make windows!"

Lupin laughed softly. "Yes. Not the best riddle ever, perhaps, but it should work enough to repel enemies who aren't very smart."

"I couldn't think of the answer!"

Tonks replied this time. "Ah, well... there you go."

They laughed merrily, now approaching the main doors to Hogwarts castle itself. Little professor Flitwick, leading the way, pushed open the giant front doors and bowed them all inside. Zero looked around, his mouth open in amazement. The Huge hall they had entered had several staircases leading down or up off of it's sides, and another large set of doors leading forward. The floors were beautiful stone, and the ceiling was so high that he could not find them in the darkness. He looked around, entranced, as the rest of his group led him forward to the large doors ahead of him.

Tonks spoke again. "We really should hurry Zero, the feast will begin soon. I'm dying of hunger... Wotcher, Harry!"

Harry Potter himself had just stepped down from a staircase leading upward on their right. He waved at Tonks, smiling, and then at Lupin and Flitwick and Zero. Zero stepped forward, smiling and offering his hand.

"Mr. Potter. I apologize, I didn't have a good opportunity to present myself before."

Harry grasped his hand and shook it. "Good to meet you in person, Mr. Finnigan, and thanks again for your help at King's Cross. I've been, er, wondering... I know Finnigan is a fairly common name but I have a friend in Gryffindor with me, he's the same age as me. Would you be related?"

"Related?" Zero was confused, and thought for a moment. "Seamus! My god! He's the son of my cousin, Brian! I had forgotten how old he is, I haven't seen him since he was a boy!"

Harry smiled, he looked pleased at this information. "That's great, I don't know if his family is here... But if they are, I'm sure we'll see them in the Great Hall during the feast! Afterward, you'll have a good opportunity to speak with them. If they have chosen to stay, of course." He didn't seem so sure that they had stayed.

Zero hoped to himself that they had. Teaching a relative was an interesting concept to Zero. He imagined Seamus as having grown to be a strapping lad, one who was proficient in Defense Against the Dark Arts, of course. He imagined Seamus, with Zero's help of course, growing to have even more magical ability than Zero himself, and all the looks and charm Zero couldn't quite keep. Zero looked down at his outfit, pretending to brush himself off. His cossack and cloak were smudged with dirt and small stains. As they moved on toward the doors, Harry with them now, he covertly sniffed himself, horrified to find that he smelled softly of alcohol and a certain herbal weakness of his. He popped his neck uncomfortable and brushed himself off yet again, more roughly this time. He made an oath to himself to lay off those intoxicants a bit.

The doors to the great Hall opened, and Zero found himself, for the second time that night, momentarily stunned by the architectural beauty of Hogwarts. He silently thanked whatever gods there were for affording him an opportunity to live in such a fine environment. The Great Hall was absolutely packed with people, all chattering amongst themselves as a steady stream of them continued to seat themselves.

Lupin spoke, frowning slightly. "We've had to pack in a lot more tables than normal. As you can see, We are catering to a large crowd now."

The crowd was large indeed. Wizards and witches of every shape, size, and age were in the crowd, some in packs of similar types, which were obviously families. One clan in particular was a set of many redheaded people, all with fair skin and freckles. He was reminded briefly of Charlie, whom they'd seen outside.

"Ginny!" Harry had stepped around Zero and was gesturing to one of the redheaded people Zero had, a very pretty girl who jumped up from her seat to gesture Harry over. Harry turned quickly to Zero. "Great to meet you, Mr. Finnigan, really."

"You can call me Zero."

Harry smiled and turned to Lupin and Tonks, shaking Lupin's hand and hugging Tonks briefly before departing to join the redheaded clan, all of whom cheered happily as he joined them. One tall, gangly boy in particular shook Harry's hand vigorously, patting him on the back and laughing.

Zero began to scan the crowd for the Finnigan family, as Flitwick excused himself to take his seat at the teacher's table and Lupin and Tonks waved to a grizzled looking man, and hurried over to speak with him. Zero examined each table carefully, finding no signs of his relatives. He started to wonder how different they might look, seeing as how he had not met with them in quite a few years.

"Zero! Over here! Zero!"

Zero turned so quickly he nearly tripped. At a nearby table a woman and a man, each with reddish-blonde hair, were waving to Zero happily. He hurried over. It was indeed his cousin and his wife. "Brian! There you are!" As he reached their table, he embraced his cousin. Brian Finnigan was a very large man, with short hair and a wild beard. Brian hadn't been born with the same gift as his wife and Zero - he was a muggle. It was an interesting coincidence that magic was in his family with Zero and Zero's parents, and his own wife happened to be a witch. Brian was a gentle man despite his size, a man who worked hard and loved his drink. Zero imagined it must have been difficult to convince him to leave his job to live in the safety of Hogwarts. There was probably a lot of drinking involved.

Brian grasped Zero's shoulders and laughed with joy. "Ye've not gotten any larger since I last saw you! Still a runt, that's what Zero means!"

Zero raised an eyebrow and laughed daringly. "You've gotta be better than me at something, Brian, might as well be size!"

Brian roared with laughter, and collapsed back into his seat. Zero noticed that there was a large tankard in front of him at the table, full of mead which sloshed merrily as the table shook. "Seamus!" Brian said, grasping the shoulder of his son next to him, who looked considerably less powerful than Zero had imagined. "How long's it been since ya saw old Zero?"

"Old?" Zero laughed. "I'm twenty seven, you oaf."

Seamus smiled back at Zero and raised his own goblet, which was full of a yellow, sweet smelling liquid. "Hey, Uncle Zero."

Brian motioned to his wife. "And Annie, my wife! We've celebrated our twenty-first anniversary this year!"

Annie Finnigan was a woman with whom Zero had a feeling he did not ever want to argue. She was smiling now, looking very sweet, but she had an appearance about her that hinted she was a very protective mother, and possibly a very suspicious wife. "Hello, Zero. I remember you at our wedding, as a matter of fact. You stole your father's wand and set the cake on fire when we were doing our 'I do's.' Always were the sort to grab everyone's attention."

"That was an accident! I was six, for cryin' out loud!" They laughed loudly. Before the laughing had finished, however, a hush fell over the crowd and Zero seated himself quickly beside them as a wizard ahead turned and shushed them.

Minerva McGonagall, new Headmistress of Hogwarts, had stood up from her seat at the center of the teacher's tables, and now waited rigidly for them to quiet down and pay attention.

"Welcome back, Hogwarts students and newcomers."

Brian leaned over and whispered into Zero's ear. "Normally there's a ceremony before welcoming feast for First Years, but they performed it in private this year. From what I hear, there were no students placed in Slytherin House this year - and all of the students from Slytherin house have neglected to show up." He chuckled softly. It seemed despite Brian's lack of magical birth, he was well-informed of magical news.

"I think it is correct to say that we face our most trying years yet. Times are before us that will surely test our wills as nothing else before has. We have tried time and again to unify ourselves against the threat that Voldemort poses ..." At Voldemort's name, McGonagall seemed to have steeled herself and a ripple of gasps came through the audience. She continued as if nothing had happened.

"...And yet we have failed to become one. The time is now, we must become a true community, and that is why Hogwarts has offered it's shelter to the magical public. We salute every one of you who has chosen to join us here, we salute every one of you for taking up your part of the load and accepting the responsibility of knowledge, the knowledge that we are in danger and must stand together. The fact we must all face is that the greatest among us, The only man Voldemort - Yes, Voldemort," she said sternly, for another wave of gasps had come from the crowd. "The only man Voldemort has ever feared, is dead. He has died at the hands of a traitor, a man who could not take up his load and fight for the good of his fellow man. We have learned from this lesson! We are a new people, a people that will fight the darkness, and we will win!"

This rousing speech conjured applause from the audience. They stood up, clapping loudly and cheering as McGonagall waited for them to finish. Brian Finnigan had gotten to his feet beside Zero, along with his wife and son. They roared triumphantly with applause continuously until Professor McGonagall motioned for the audience to be seated again.

"We welcome into our home two new professors this year, to take up the positions of Defense Against The Dark Arts, and Transfiguration. We welcome back Professor Remus J. Lupin," at Lupin's name there was polite applause from the crowd and enthusiastic applause from the teachers. Lupin, who had meanwhile left Tonks to take his place at the teachers' table, stood graciously and bowed. It occured to Zero suddenly that if he were to be announced, he had made the mistake of not taking his proper seat. He wondered quickly if it would be wise to quickly sneak to his chair.

There was no time, however. "And we also welcome a personal guest of mine, Professor Zero Finnigan." There was an awkward moment during which the crowd waited for one of the teachers to stand. McGonagall turned elft and right, searching the teachers' table. After she failed to find Zero, she began to quietly scan the audience.

Zero felt himself lifted right out of his seat, as Brian picked him up around the legs and lifted him into the air. Before he knew it, Zero was sitting on Brian's broad shoulder as the audience laughed and clapped gratefully. Zero smiled weakly and waved to the audience around him as Brian roared with laughter. From his high spot, he could see Harry and Tonks laughing. Brian set him down again and Zero felt himself blushing slightly. He didn't like attention very much.

"Right. Thank you very much Mr. Finnigan, for making Mr. Finnigan visible." the crowd laughed again. "Though we live in hard times, it is brotherhoods like this that will keep us strong. Nothing can stop us now, except ourselves. And we certainly won't be letting that happen!" As she finished, the crowd applauded loudly again, Cheering proudly at McGonagall's inspiring words. She motioned once more for them to silence. "And now, let's eat!"

The tables were suddenly covered with incredible looking food, the likes of which Zero had never seen before. He saw slabs of roast beef, whole hams and turkeys, vegetables and fruits of all kinds, soups and breads and pitchers orange and yellow liquid. He didn't know what to try first, but thought a good start might be a chicken leg. As Zero gnawed happily on his dinner and drank goblets of mead and butterbeer (the latter of which he'd never tried before) all thoughts and worries of his first day teaching left his mind. _Hell_, he thought. _What's to it? All I gotta do is show these kids what I know. Don't know how I'm gonna spread it out over an entire school year, but we'll get to all that later._

The food was just as good as it looked. Before a half hour was up, Zero was kicking back in his seat and rubbing his stomach tenderly. Brian was still eating, working his way through dessert, but most everyone else in the vast room was in the same position as Zero. The night had been overall, quite satisfying. Zero pondered to himself how he could have led his life so far without doing anything like this. It seemed to him at the moment that teaching was just his game.

After the feast, Lupin and Tonks, looking considerably full and tired, showed Zero up a few flights of stairs to his room, which was accessible from a door inside his office. The office itself was entered from within his classroom, so he wouldn't need to walk anywhere in the morning to get to his classroom. He smiled to himself and wondered again where this profession had been all his life. As Lupin and Tonks left him to his room, he unpacked quickly and began to put his things in various spots around the classroom, placing first his beloved muggle device, his CD player, on his teaching desk to play as he unpacked.

_Music is playing in the darkness, _

_and a lantern goes swingin' by_

_Shadows flickering, _

_my heart's jittery_

_Just you and I..._

Freddy Mercury's voice sang to piano tunes as Zero carefully formed the first impression his students would have of his classroom. When he was finally content with his work, he climbed into his new bed and with a flick of his wand, put out the lamps lighting the room dimly. He was never sure how he would dream in a night, except sure that the dreams would be strange - but he knew that the next day would be interesting for sure.

End of Chapter 5

So in this chapter we learn that the three trials protecting Hogwarts are pretty solid indeed, and that Zero Finnigan is related to Seamus Finnigan, a friend of Harry's. The next chapter will cover Zero's first day teaching and it's sure to have some interesting moments. Will Zero do well as a teacher? I'll get started on it soon, so for now, Read and Review!


	6. First Class

Zero's eyes opened and he felt the fleeting sense of not knowing where he was. As he recognized his surroundings and remembered that he would be teaching his first class within minutes, he quickly got up to stretch and dress for the day. Just as he finished pulling on his favorite outfit (Jet black robes decorated with midnight blue trim around the cuffs) he heard a knock upon the door to his quarters. He pulled open the door, yawning uncontrollably as he did so. Standing outside the doorway was an elderly woman who Zero immediately felt he would not want to disagree with. She wore an interesting fur on her shoulders as well as an even more interesting stuffed vulture as a hat. Zero squinted slightly, examining her up and down before looking at ehr expectantly. "I'm sorry, ma'am, is there a problem?"

She smiled back warmly. "Longbottom's the name, Augusta Longbottom. I was just interested in learning more about you, Mr. Finnigan, I'm afraid I have never heard of you and I was interested in finding out more on the subject of my grandson's future professor."

Zero was confused and thought over what she had said. Was this woman so interested in her grandson's new professor that she was going to come up here this early in the morning and interrogate him? Perhaps this reflects the better system of education in Britain, he thought to himself. "Well, I'll be happy to answer any of your questions, Mrs. Longbottom."

"I see that you are an american," she said, turning and having a seat at one of the student tables behind ehr in the classroom area. "How is it someone from your country would come ehre to teach our children?" Zero detected the slightest hint of prejudice in her tone.

He chose his words carefully. "I am... Professor McGonagall's guest, as you may remember her mentioning during her speech last night. In the United States, I worked as an independent associate to the department of magical law."

Augusta Longbottom watched him while he spoke with complete attention, but spoke almost as soon as he finished. "Perhaps it was a bit of an... exaggeration to say I haven't heard of you, Zero. I have heard from another of the parents that you were once a renowned... how do you put it... a mercenary?"

Zero looked at the floor, staying silent for a moment before responding. "I had a bit of a turbulent youth, if that's what you mean. I believe I am qualified for the job however," he added, looking back up and returning her gaze. "and Minerva seems to agree. Will this be suitable?"

Mrs. Longbottom endulged in that warm smile once more. "Of course, Mr. Finnigan. Thank you for speaking to me about that. Now, about my grandson," Her expression changed to a look of slight disappointment. "He isn't the most gifted in his class, to say the least. I hope you will be able to work with him, and improve his skills. Can I count on you to help him? Someday, perhaps he will make as good an auror as his mother and father were."

Something clicked in Zero's mind when she said this. "Longbottom, Frank and Alice! I didn't remember the name until just now. Of course I'll try my best to help your grandson, but tell me, how are Frank and Alice?"

"They have fared well health-wise within St. Mungo's," Augusta replied, sighing despite her matter-of-fact tone. "Their minds will never be the same, of course. The boy doesn't take it well, to be honest."

Zero nodded. "I'm very sorry for what happened to them. I met them once before, when I was working for Dumbledore. They are very good people."

She smiled. "I know. Well, I must hurry and trot down to breakfast. Have a lovely first day of classes, Zero."

"Thank you. I will try my best to."

Mrs. Longbottom left through the classroom entrance, and Zero examined his own room. All of his decorations were in place, various items he had collected during his adventuring, some of which he still found uses for. He realized how he would spend his first lesson. Introductions to techniques and spells would come later; for their first day, he decided he would simply answer any inquiries the students had about his collected items. This would serve to introduce them to the world in which one uses defensive magic.

Zero walked down the corridors and hallways to the Great Hall, not hungry for breakfast but wanting to meet his fellow teachers nonetheless. As he entered the huge room, he was waved to by Remus Lupin at the staff table. As he approached, Lupin pointed to a chair on his left. "This is your seat, Zero. Please, sit, have something to eat."

Zero sat, but had no intention of eating anything. He saw that Lupin was not eating either. "I'm not hungry Remus. Why aren't you having something to eat?"

Lupin smiled. "I'm just not in the mood, I suppose. I don't typically eat breakfast anyway." Zero could understand; he didn't either.

Zero scanned the room, full of the sounds of people chatting and the clinking of goblets and plates. The students had two seperate tables, and the families had their own several sets of tables. Lupin gestured to the tables. "There are typically four student tables, but we are taking on far fewer these days and needed room for the refugee families staying with us."

Zero nodded. "What time do the first classes start?"

"Ah, yes. I nearly forgot." He produced a piece of folded parchment from within his robes and handed it to Zero. "This is your schedule. It lists the times for your classes and what year the students in those classes are."

Zero unfolded the parchment and found his first class at the top of the list. He was pleased to see that his 7th year class was first. He had the freedom to discuss advanced magic and spells in detail. "7th year class first, excellent."

Lupin looked over at the parchment. "Hmm, yes. You should understand something first, however. Harry Potter is, as always, a bit of a special case to deal with. He seems to have decided against... Conventional... learning this year. The death of Dumbledore last year and Severus Snape's escape seems to have affected him quite seriously, and he will not be convinced to complete a full year of learning. It is not Minerva's wish, however, to deny him the honors of our services and a formal graduation, however, so he will simply be attending classes on occasion. meanwhile, he is on his own pursuing...other interests."

What those interests could be was fairly obvious to Zero, but did not overshadow Harry's need to prepare, in Zero's opinion. "It is plain fact that Harry needs training in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Remus. Surely he would like to at least listen to me while he has the opportunity?"

"Harry does have a tendency to jump to action. However, I believe that of all classes, he'll find your the most valuable. If I were you, I would expect to see him in class often, but do not be surprised when he does not show."

"I am concerned for his welfare. I'll be frank about that. Who si accompanying him while he pursues these 'other interests'?"

Lupin seemed to be growing tired of the subject, but continued. "I do not know if anyone of experience would be helping him. His best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, seem to find their way into all of his adventures, however."

Zero rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "This worries me, Lupin. This is far too dangerous a situation."

"It is indeed. But Harry is of age now, and cannot be controlled by our concerns and objections."

"The first chance I get, I'm going to pound some sense into him."

"You won't be the first to try. I'm telling you, it'll do more harm than good. If you want to have a positive effect on him, don't try to restrict him."

Zero could not argue with logic. He resolved to do his best to gain Harry's trust, and left all other thoughts of the boy who lived at that. Having no interest in breakfast or continued conversation, he bid Lupin farewell and left the Great Hall. As he approached the door to his classroom, he found that there was already a small queue waiting to come inside. The two boys watched him approach eagerly. Both were just slightly short for their age. "Names?" he asked as he tapped his wand on the door handle, unlocking it.

The first boy spoke up, with the pompous manner of an aristocrat. "Ernie Macmillan, professor. So good to meet you."

The second boy seemed much more shy than the first and blushed only slightly as he said "Neville Longbottom, sir."

"Longbottom? I met your parents once. And I met you grandmother this morning." Neville looked taken aback when he heard this, and slightly crestfallen. "From all accounts, you have not yet reached your potential. We shall have to bring out that potential this year, yes?"

"I.. I suppose so, sir."

"Please do not call me sir. I respect Hogwarts immensely, but I am merely a guest ehre. If you are not comfortable calling me Zero, please call me Mr. Finnigan."

Neville seemed surprised again. "Yes, Mr. Finnigan, sir."

Zero laughed and turned to the first boy. "Ernie Macmillan was it? Glad to meet you too. Please, both of you, come inside and have a seat."

They walked into the room, and the boys gawked at the contraptions and objects Zero had placed among the shelves and walls. Zero frowned down at the desks that stood in rows facing the teacher's desk. "You know," He said, turning back to the boys, who remained behind him examining a crown he'd placed near the door. "I hated desks like this when I went to school. What do you think of them?"

Neville replied first. "I never liked them much. A bit uncomfortable."

Ernie piped up. "I think they suit just fine. A proper magical education requires -"

Zero interrupted him. "That's two to one then." And he began to walk down the rows, tapping the desks with his wand. The desks in his wake slowly inflated and changed shape until Zero reached the final desk and turned; the desks one by one had become overstuffed armchairs. With a parting motion of his hands, the chairs seperated properly, forming rows between them once more. Neville hurried to take a seat in the first row of armchairs, followed by Ernie, who wore a slight frown.

Zero turned to his own desk. 'Now, what to do with this. I can't have a room of armchairs and a wooden desk for myself! That wouldn't do at all..." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Aha!" He waved his wand again, and this time the desk inflated into an enormous midnight blue couch. "Now," He said, looking up at the ceiling. "The ceiling in the Great Hall is brilliant, if only I could have one that always showed it raining."

"But sir," Neville said, looking confused. "Why would you have it always rain?"

"I love it when it rains," Zero said simply. He did not have time to say more than this, as the door opened and a number of students filed in. Zero was very pleased to see Harry Potter and his two best friends among them, as well as Seamus, his nephew. He was even more pleased when the trio took the final three armchairs in the first row, right where he could see them. Zero beamed at the class. "Quite good to see you all here. I can only assume that nobody is missing today?" His eyes lingered for a second on Harry. "That's good. I'm not fond of absent students, most especially on the first day. As you may guess from my choice of furniture, I prefer a method of teaching that is laid-back. It is my opinion that relaxing helps you to concentrate on a single goal each lesson. So please, as I teach, do not strive to please me, strive to accomplish your daily goal of the lesson. Today's goal," he waved his wand and an overlarge blackboard appeared out of thin air in front of the students, spelling words as he spoke. "Getting to know your instructor." The class seemed surpised overall; several had taken out books that they now looked at, wondering whether to put them away. "Yes, yes, put your books away. I know you are all not children, and you do not need an entire lesson to explain rules and such, and that is not what I am going to give you. For today, I will simply answer any inquiries you have about myself or the objects I have placed about my classroom."

The students looked around the room. Ernie Macmillan was the first to raise his hand. "Professor, I was wondering about the crown you have by the door." Several other students craned their necks to see the crown.

"Ah, yes. First of all, as I was saying to Neville a moment ago, please call me either Zero or Mr. Finnigan. That goes for all of you - speaking on a first name basis is a sign of respect, and I extend it to all of you. I can understand if you are not comfortable referring to me by my first name however, and in that case Mr. Finnigan will do. As for the crown, I kept it after an investigation into the fabled Angel Caves. Are any of you familiar with the Angel Caves?"

A bushy haired girl, one of Harry's friends, immediately raised her hand.

"Name?"

"Hermione Granger, sir. Mr. Finnigan."

"Perceptive! Please, go on."

"The Angel Caves were a home and study place for the elves of North America. It was a complex system of caverns underground, including the Emerald Falls."

"Quite right, quite right. Isn't there some sort of reward system for this sort of thing? Points or something?"

Ernie spoke up. "Yes, Mr. Finnigan. Points are allocated to different houses for good work done by students of those houses."

"And what is your particular house, Miss Granger?"

"Gryffindor, sir. Mr. Finnigan, I mean."

"Right... what is a typical amount of points to give? Will twenty do?"

Hermione beamed. "Yes, that's quite a lot."

"Then I can't resist being unorthodox. Take twenty-one points." Zero turned back to the crown and gestured toward it. "As I was saying, I took the crown as a... souvenir of my trip into the caves. During the exploration I met a very old elf who was at the end of his days. And long days they are... he was around 700 I believe. He gave me that crown, "The Crown of Ceremony" he called it, and then died as I watched."

The students seemed in awe of this story. Zero felt quite gratified and wondered how they might take some of the other stories he had in his past. Harry's other friend had raised his hand before Zero had much time to enjoy the aura of amazement around him, however. "Name?"

"Ron Weasley, Mr. Finnigan."

"Hello, Ron Weasley."

"I was wondering about the glove you have on table there. Is it another artifact?"

Zero turned to the glove, which he hadn't anticipated explaining so soon. "Er, yes... this. I actually was planning to explain it last, but I'll carry on... This device is called an Aquatic Finger. They are particularly rare, and rather useful. I think it would perhaps be easiest to demonstrate its purpose, as iopposed to blabbering on about it." Even before he reached for the glove, he could see in Miss Granger's eyes that she knew what it was. Mercifully, however, she was keeping her hand down and seemed to be waiting anxiously to see the demonstration.

Zero slipped the glove on gingerly, and it conformed with slippery smoothness to his hand's form. "The glove is controlled according to your muscle tenseness," Zero said, turning back to his class and reaching out in the direction of the ceiling as though preparing to grasp the stone, though the ceiling of the room was a clear twenty feet above. He tensed the muscles slowly in his hand. With matched speed, a fountain of glimmering water stretched from the glove's shiny surface. It crept upward as his hand muscles stiffened, until his hand was shaking slightly with exertion, and the fountain touched the ceiling lightly. No water droplets fell from the fountain; it was as though a thick rope of water were being extended. He quickly drew his hand downward, still keeping it stiffened, and the beam-like water column followed. It swung beautifully over the student's heads as they watched in amazement. He lowered it carefully until it was only two feet above the heads of the middle row. Ernie Macmillan reached up and touched it with his fingers, wincing as though expecting to be drenched at any moment.

"It is quite safe to touch it. Even if i relax my hand muscles, the water will simply retract back into its home - the glove. Let me explain the many uses of this particular tool," As he continued, the students began to crowd around it, touching it and stroking it. He could imagine how it felt - like touching a cool pipe of solid water. "Firstly, it can be used as an extension of the human arm - quite a dexterous one, if the user has trained well enough. It can be used to take items which you cannot reach on your own. For example," He said, moving the fountain from its place above the children's heads and retracting it slightly as he pointed it toward the crown near the door, across the room from him. He slowly formed his hand as though ready to grab the crown. Meanwhile, the end of the fountain became a duplicate of this shape until the fountain now looked rather like a grotesquely long arm ending with a transparent grasping hand. He stiffened agin, and the arm stretched forward with alarming speed. As it landed on the crown, he made as though to grasp the crown with his hand, and the arm/fountain did the same, actually taking the crown. The retracted quickly, taking the crown as it reached him, and setting it down on the desk behind him. The class clapped appreciatively.

"That's one demonstration of it's practical use," Zero said, now removing the glove. "It can also be used in a fight, to push enemies and knock them away... theoretically. I would not choose to put it to such destructive use, as it requires much dexterity to use in the first place, and therefore requires the use of your wand hand - this means that using it rules out the use of spells, and is therefore undesirable to a wizard in a battle against Dark Forces."

Harry Potter himself was now raising his hand. "Yes, Harry? No need to ask your name, of course."

Harry returned Zero's respectful gaze. "I wanted to know what history you have against the Dark Arts."

Zero was stunned momentarily. He had been expecting his student to wonder about this, but he had not expected being asked so openly so soon. He kept himself composed, however. He took a deep breath and then launched into the discussion. "I worked in the U.S. for a long time as a mercenary. A contract soldier," He added, as several students exchanged looks of disbelief and surprise. "That's right. I'm not proud of some of the work I did, but I am happy to say that I worked for people who worked toward the general good. I was not affiliated with organized crime or the dark arts...ever."

"That does not mean that I haven't learned much about the dark arts, however," Zero said, turning now to seat himself in his own midnight blue armchair. "I am not against the use of certain spells, spells which are deemed as dark arts in this country. You see, the dark arts, you must remember, are what you make of them. the dark arts are so difficult to fight because they are the direct result of the dark side of human anture. because humans will never be pure, magic will never be pure. your own magic, your own soul no doubt, is reflected by your actions. Those who use evil magic and revere it own soulds which are constantly stained and tainted by their actions - at the worst, their souls become torn by their evil work. Fighting the dark arts really means that you refuse to use them... even when it seems you have to. True courage comes in fighting fire with blankets, not fire." Zero glanced at his watch. "Well, the time ahs certainly flown. I do believe class will be over within the next minute or so.. You are dismissed." As the students began to leave, Zero thought to himself, rubbing his forehead gently. "Harry, a word please."

Harry approached, and Zero knew this was his opportunity to have an effect on Harry that may help him value his education, and perhaps even survive. "Hello, Harry. How was my first lesson? How have I done?"

"You gave a good lesson, Professor."

"Have I really?" He rubbed his forehead again, harder, and then looked at Harry. "Tell me. How many Horcruxes remain?"

Harry was visibly shocked. After a moment of silence, he replied quietly, "I believe there are three, sir."

"My name is Zero, Harry. Not sir. Do you know what the Horcruxes are? Do you know what you are looking for?"

"I am pretty sure of what two of them are. I still don't know about the third."

Zero stayed silent for several seconds before he continued. "So three have been destroyed, correct? Do not be surprised... I have suspected Voldemort's use of the Horcrux for a long time now... and it is only natural that he would use the most magical number - seven. Listen to me carefully, Harry. Whether any of this "Chosen One" business is correct or not, is it plain FACT that Voldemort wishes for your death more than anything in the world. You must continue your training and be absolutely ready to face him, and with the help of anybody who is willing to lend it."

"... I don't think I need your help, Mr. Finnigan. thank you for your offer."

"Don't be stupid, Potter. Excuse my rudeness. What I am saying is I think you do. Have you ever heard of Torch O'Malley?"

"Yes, I only know vaguely of him, from Professor Lupin."

"Perhaps if you knew enough you would be more intimidated. Listen to me, now. Torch O'Malley and his group, the Lotus Moon, have never failed to kill a mark. I should now, they are from America, like me. Among his lot are a master assasin, a homicidal maniac, and a bloodthirsty vampire. Not to mention Torch himself. They will hunt you without stopping tor est until you are dead. You must remain here while you train, the safest place in the wizarding world."

"Forgive me if they don't intimidate me. Perhaps I know more about my fate than you, enough to know that they are of no concern."

"Your arrogant "solo" routine is beginning to bug me, Harry. I don't care if you know for a fact that they cannot kill you. It doesnt matter. While you are out and about, people are in danger. You need as much help as you can get, and I can provide it to you."

Harry sighed. "How can you help me?"

"Besides teaching you things you've never seen before, plenty. You need training, and practice. And I know your friend are often your inseperable companions. They need my training as well. When it comes time for you to embark on a dangerous task, perhaps you will need another important service I can render. Until that time comes, however, we will have to be content to train. Do not worry over gathering information. The Order of the Phoenix will do that for you. until you gian teh ifnormation you need, we will train. Is this agreeable?" He offered his hand.

Harry considered this for a moment, and then shook Zero's hand. "Alright. until I get the information I need, and only until then, I will practice with you, you must agree to provide training for Hermione and Ron as well."

"Quite fine. I will also be training my nephew, Seamus."

Harry grinned. "That's good, Mr. Finnigan."

"Please call me Zero. We'll be sparring soon enough, and we ought to be comfortable with each other."

"OK Zero. When will we be beginning our training?"

"We should train extensively. Wednesdays and Weekends. Come up to this room Wednesday at 8 o'clock. Until then, goodbye."

End of Chapter 6

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